For the last four weeks, the Washington Commanders defense was one of the worst in football.
They had allowed an average of 36 points per game, including 40 to a winless Chicago Bears team at home on Oct. 5. But on Sunday, the defensive unit finally put things together, as they had three interceptions and forced two turnovers on downs in the Commanders 24-16 win over the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
"The defense bowed up when it had to," Ron Rivera said. "Made a couple of plays that were really good that helped us. When you have to make plays, you have to step up when you get the opportunity and a lot of guys did today."
Kendall Fuller had the first interception of Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder when he jumped a route in the third quarter and ran it back to the Falcons' 25-yard line. Two plays later, the Commanders capitalized when Sam Howell found an open Brian Robinson, and he ran into the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown.
The fourth quarter proved the Commanders mettle on defense. Atlanta drove into the red zone with a chance to tie the game with a touchdown and two-point conversion, but a defensive stand ended with a Benjamin St-Juste interception in the end zone with 5:17 left.
After a quick three-and-out by the Washington offense, the Falcons got the ball back at their 42-yard line with 3:29 left to play. The Commanders' defense answered the bell again, forcing a turnover on downs.
Washington's offense couldn't ice the game with a first down, putting the honus on its defense once more with two minutes left. Ridder and the Falcons marched into Commanders' territory, but linebacker Jamin Davis put the final nail in the coffin with Washington's third interception of the game.
"We took the football away," Rivera said. "That gave us the opportunity more than anything else."
Washington's defense also forced a turnover on downs in the second quarter, which led to a seven-yard touchdown from Howell to Curtis Samuel to give them a 17-7 lead.
Safety Kamren Curl, Fuller and St-Juste each had multiple passes defended. Defensive end Casey Toohill had two sacks plus a tackle for loss, while Davis also had a sack along with a pass defended.
When the going got tough, it could have been easy for the defense to fold. Instead, they rose to the occasion and played like the unit that was expected to carry this team heading into the season. Now, they're 3-3 with a chance to get over .500 this Sunday when they face the New York Giants (1-5) at MetLife Stadium at 1 p.m.
If the Commanders defense can continue to play at a high level, they may find themselves in the thick of the NFC playoff picture as their schedule toughens and the games become more meaningful. But for now, their performance on the road against the Falcons was a huge step in the right direction after a rough four-game stretch.
More must-reads: